The eye watering amounts paid to professional footballers is so far out of the comprehension of normal fans that the numbers just become – bigger numbers. We have no way of knowing what earning £75,000 a week ever feels like. Most of us don’t even get paid that in a year. I spent ages in August 2024 researching all things ‘Duran’ as the transfer to West Ham did look ‘possible’.
So when news of Jhon Duran‘s final sale came through after the longest Hammers’ transfer saga – I did just stop for a second and reflect on the Columbian’s ‘ambition offset against reward’ for his decision to go to Saudia Arabia.
Most will decry what he has done, either on ethical or career grounds. Few players who choose Saudi remain in the public eye and most are desperate to leave after a short time away from the limelight of publicity and the ‘media Siberia’ that Saudi represents. It is kind of career deep freeze if not career suicide.
But then – how many can afford to ignore the sheer amount of money offered? Jhon Duran was on £75,0000 a week at Aston Villa. Hardly peanuts. About £3,750,000 a year. One rich young man.
His new deal at Al Nassr will earn him £1,900 per HOUR. In case you want to work that out I’ll save you the effort – that is £16.7 million a year.
Can I blame him? Not really. That kind of money for three years sets up family and yet-to-be born children and future generations. Forever if wisely invested.
It is a shame that his undoubted talent won’t be on display for all of us to watch, but I get to think somehow this was the deal he wanted all along. It is certainly millions more than he’d ever have earned at London Stadium. The difference being instead of winning the sometimes raucous support of 62,000 Hammers fans every week he’ll probably have an audience of 15,000 if he is lucky.
Nobody watches the Saudi Pro League on TV so he will lose his global exposure. But he’s made his choice and I wish him well. In about three years no doubt he’ll be trying to come back. I look forward to writing about him then . In the meantime – Enough Duran already.
Obscene amounts paid in most top level leagues now but the lure of Saudi money has taken it to a whole new level. £71 million fee plus £16.7 million a year and they still had enough money left to bid £75 million for Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma.
Love to see smaller clubs like Forest Villa, Brighton, Bournemouth etc up with the so called top 6 evening things up. The bigger question is what does the Saudi money do for the future of our game?
I can’t stand anything that sports washes the horrific Saudi regime. I hope he can live with his conscience. I celebrate a bullet dodged
While you can argue that you can’t blame him, you can look at Kylian Mbappe.
When it was publicly known that he’d be running down his PSG contract and joining Real Madrid on a free, one of the Saudi clubs bid around £300m and were offering to pay him nearly £1b (yes, billion) just to play for them for a single season and he could do what he planned and join Real on a free after it.
Mbappe turned down the move immediately without even entertaining the idea.
He didn’t publicly state it, but it was pretty obvious that he done so because he cares more about his career than taking (so-called) “blood money” and earned massive respect from me for doing that.
Duran has an ambition to make money rather than an ambition to win top trophies .
Pay me £16.7m per year and I’d only do the one year. There’s no shortage of old pros who hobble along.
Thank Johnny Haynes (Fulham) first player to earn £100 per week after £20 pw max was abolished in 1961.
Am sure he is doing back flips that you wish him well!!
Fair play to him. He’s got a killer contract and will still be young enough to play in Europe’s top leagues when it’s complete.
I’d had enough Duran a long time ago Martin!